Diaphragm valves are known in the art to have various shapes and configurations. Some of these valves are designed for use in interrupting a fluid stream in a fluid conduit, such as tubing or a pipe. Other diaphragm valves are designed specifically for use as drain valves for draining a fluid from a fluid conduit or from a vessel used for containing a fluid. The valve of the present invention is of a new design, and is suited for use either for interrupting fluid flow in a fluid conduit such as a pipe, or for draining a fluid conduit or a fluid-containing vessel. The valve disclosed here is particularly well suited for draining a fluid conduit or a fluid-containing vessel in situations where substantially complete draining of the fluid conduit or vessel is desired, into a second vessel or into a drain.
Diaphragm valves of various types are known. Some of these diaphragm valves are better suited for easy cleaning of the valves than are others. The diaphragm valves known are not designed to be freely draining. Freely draining valves are known in the art, such as the valve disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,104 to Kehoe. The valve that is disclosed in that patent is not a diaphragm valve however, and the valve of Kehoe works in a different manner than that of the valve disclosed here.
To overcome such shortcomings, a diaphragm valve is disclosed here that provides a construction that is particularly well suited for applications that require complete draining of a valve.
To overcome the shortcomings of known diaphragm valves above, and to satisfy the outstanding needs outlined above I have now discovered a new diaphragm valve construction.